|
|
| N.J. County Officials Hoping to Move Prison from Waterfront |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 06/19/2003 |
|
Camden County officials are hoping they can sway the state to move a medium-security prison from along the Delaware River so they can redevelop the site with restaurants, retail areas and housing. Located north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge on 17 acres of prime land in Camden, Riverfront State Prison was built 18 years ago, partly as a way to provide jobs for an economically depressed area. Most of the surrounding area has since been developed and officials say the time is ripe for change, noting that the prison's bonds would be paid off in 2007. ''Now is the time to start thinking about where to go next,'' Thomas Corcoran, president of the Cooper's Ferry Development Association, told the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill for Thursday's editions. ''Now that the waterfront is evolving, it (the prison) is clearly not the highest and best use of that land.'' County officials say they realize there are many obstacles to overcome before Riverfront - one of New Jersey's 14 prisons - could be relocated, and the proposal has received a lukewarm reception from state corrections officials. Riverfront now is near its capacity of 1,142 inmates. ''I was not part of discussions to demolish one of our newer facilities,'' said Matt Shuman, a corrections department spokesman. ''You can't close it down, unless you have someplace else for the inmates to go, because most of the existing facilities are close to capacity. Freeholder-Director Jeffrey Nash, who is vice chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority, said he would assign the bistate authority's New Jersey lobbyist former Assemblyman H. Donald Stewart to discuss the proposal with the state. ''Who knows what a prison is worth? My hope is that the state would knock it down and give us the land,'' Nash said. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think